On the Unity of Man

This circular letter, dated 15 May, 1974, was the last one Sant Kirpal Singh wrote before He left His physical body on 21 August, 1974.

Man, the highest rung of all creation, is basically the same everywhere. All men are born the same way, receive all the bounties of nature in a similar manner, have the same inner and outer construction, and are controlled in the physical body by the same Power, called differently as "God," "Word," Naam, etc. All men are the same as souls, worship the same God, and are conscious entities; being of the same essence as God, they are members of His family, and thus related to each other as brothers and sisters in Him.

All awakened and enlightened Gurus and spiritual teachers who came to this world at various points of time and in various parts, have invariably emphasized this Truth in their own language and manner. According to them all men, despite their distinctive social orders and denominational religions, form but one class.

Guru Nanak, the great teacher and Messiah of peace, said: The highest order is to rise into Universal brotherhood; Aye, to consider all creation you are equal.

India's ancient mantra, Vasudeva kutumb bukam, also lays down the same principle that the whole world is one family. However, it is common knowledge that despite long and loud preaching by various religious and social leaders professing the Unity of Man, the world today is torn by strains and tensions of every kind, and presents a sorrowful spectacle indeed. More often than not we see individuals at war with one another and brothers at drawn daggers with their own kith and kin. Similarly, nations are constantly involved in conflicts and clashes with each other, thus spoiling the peace and tranquillity. It seems that the root cause of this present-day situation is, that the Gospel of Unity of Man, however well accepted in theory, has not struck home to humanity at large and is not put into practice. It is only a form of slogan-mongering done with calculated motives.

It is universally accepted that the highest purpose of this human body is to achieve union of the soul with the Oversoul or God. It is on this account that the physical body is said to be the True Temple of God wherein He Himself resides. All religions spell out the ways and means of meeting the Oversoul or God; and all the ways and means so suggested, however different looking, lead to the same destination, so that one need not change from one religion to another for this purpose. One has only to steadfastly and genuinely tread upon the lines drawn by the torchbearers for achieving the goal.

It is necessary, however, that greater effort should be made toward the realization of Unity of Man. We have to realize that every human being is as much a member of the brotherhood as we are, and is obviously entitled to the same rights and privileges as are available to us. We must therefore make sure that while our own children make merry, our neighbour's son does not go without food; and if we really practice this, much present-day conflict will be eliminated. Each of us will develop mutual recognition, respect and understanding for the other, thus wiping out the gross inequities of life. In this process, as the mutual recognition and understanding develops, it becomes a vital force generating a reservoir of fellow feeling which in turn will bring culture and ultimately humility – the basic need of the hour.

The holding of the World Conference on Unity of Man in February 1974 in New Delhi was a clarion call to the world. This conference was perhaps the first of its kind since the time of Ashoka the Great, held at the level of Man with the noble purpose of fostering universal brotherhood leading to universal harmony. This message of the Unity of Man must reach every human heart irrespective of religious and social labels so that it comes home to every individual, enabling him to actually put it in practice in life and pass it on to others; in this way, the entire human society could be reformed. Truly speaking, Unity already exists: as man – born in the same way, with the same privileges from God; and as soul – a drop of the Ocean of All Consciousness called God, Whom we worship by various names; but we have forgotten this Unity. The lesson has only to be revived.

The so-called worldwide campaign for Unity of Man is not intended to affect the existing social and religious orders in any manner. In fact, each one has to continue to work for the upliftment of man in its own way as before. Additionally, however, this campaign has to carry the clarion call of Unity of Man to as large a mass of humanity through its own vehicle as it can, so that the message cuts across the barriers of misunderstanding and mutual distrust and strikes home to every human heart. Further, the said campaign has to be carried out not by intellectual wrestling, but with optimum desire and anxiety to put the Unity of Man into practice so that it becomes real living force. The method of propagation has to be by self-discipline and self-example rather than by declaration and proclamations.

It would be prudent to clarify that the campaign of Unity of Man has to be carried out above the level of religions without in any way affecting any religious or social orders. It has to obtain in practice the blessings and support of all those who believe in the Gospel of Unity of Man, and could give it strength by taking this Gospel to every human heart around them and convincing them of the need of its acceptance in daily life. It will neither be tagged with Ruhani Satsang nor with any other similar organization. The enthusiasm of its admirers will be the real force working behind the campaign.

It is therefore earnestly requested that all those who believe in the Unity of Man and wish to carry its message must work ceaselessly so that it may reach the lonest corner of the world.

A World Conference on Unity of Man may be arranged in the West as was done at Delhi in the East – both ultimately work as one whole.

The question now before us, in connection with the "Unity of Man" is this: We should live up to it. And explain to others so that they also may realize this unity. If we do that, the Conference will not be over without any fruit. And that fruit will come up if we all lay our heads together and find out ways and means to make the purpose for which this Conference was held to be effective.

Sant Kirpal Singh

May the words of Sant Kirpal Singh, when He began this work in 1974, be a message for ever:"The work of the Conference will be carried on much further, each time we see that God is working through our neighbour, our brother – through all men; each time we resist the temptation to consider our welfare ahead of that of our brother or sister; when we see that every human being we meet is a child of God.Our common aim should be to alleviate men’s suffering and reduce their separation. In that sense this Conference will never end."